Doc Martin (TV Series) The Departed (2009) User Reviews

Much ado about nothing....

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 27 April 2015]

This episode of "Doc Martin" really starts off by grabbing your attention! Martin is in London interviewing about a job as a surgeon once again. However, on the way back on the train, an annoying man sits next to him....and promptly dies! Folks think he's sleeping, but he ain't!

Next, Louisa's class is on a field trip to Aunt Joan's farm. One of the kids is an insufferable brat who climbs into the chicken coop and starts trying to hurt the poor animals! Joan is incensed and locks the kid, briefly, in the coop. Inexplicably EVERYONE seems mad at her and excuses the child for being an out of control jerk- face. Soon the boy starts barfing and folks think MAYBE it's related to his exposure to the chickens. In fact, the kids' parents start talking about suing--instead of addressing the problem THEY created! After all, they excuse his beastly behaviors and are hardly there to discipline and nurture him. Plus, they are really, really disagreeable and litigious jerks! In fact, they are SO disagreeable that they make Doc Martin seem positively nice and patient!!

As usual, there are additional plots and one involves Martin going to psychotherapy for his hemophobia. Unfortunately, he seems to want a miracle cure and is NOT the sort of person to look for insights or be able to self-appraise his life. Another plot is a strange case where a woman CLAIMS she can see and converse with her dead husband!

Overall, this is one of the more entertaining episodes of season four, though it did seem to overdue the 'blame Joan' aspect of the film-- as I cannot see anyone not wanting to slap the parents and the kid in this one!

A Study in Deception

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 21 February 2018]

This episode involves people either deliberately untruthful or messing with the system. First of all, Doc Martin goes to London where he is dishonest with the powers that be about his haemophobia. Of course, his aversion to blood has not changed a bit. He even reacted to a transfusion bag. He goes to see a psychologist and lies to him about his needs. On the way home from London, a boorish man from Port Wenn sits down next to him, annoying him. The next thing you know, the guy dies. Other events include Louisa's field trip to Jane's farm where an obnoxious, ill behaved little boy starts attacking her chicken. Jane tosses him into a coop and the boy has a panic attack. There's even more stuff to wade through as the boy's family, a deadbeat pair, threaten to sue Jane. She is dead broke and frightened. Doc gets caught up in the whole thing, and, of course, there's the pregnancy business. One last thing has to do with the wife of the dead guy. She begins to see him and talk to him when Doc is around. Anyway, an episode of non-stop events.